Taking 20 Podcast

The Blood War isn't good vs evil.  It's evil vs evil.  In Dungeons and Dragons Demons and Devils have been battling it out for millennia in what's known as The Blood War.  What do we know about this conflict and more importantly, how can you use it in a campaign?

Dive into the art of crafting rich scene descriptions that enhance player engagement in role-playing games. Discover the EASE method for structuring immersive details by tapping into Environment, Atmosphere, Senses, and Events. Learn about the SISLEM technique to build suspense and captivate players with sensory elements. Explore how lighting, mood, and events play crucial roles in storytelling, using film examples for inspiration. Transform your gameplay with evocative language that pulls players into the action!

Are your tabletop combats dragging on endlessly? Discover innovative rules that can speed up gameplay and keep everyone engaged. Explore strategies for faster initiative rolls and simplified damage calculations. Learn about unconventional ideas that balance efficiency with the thrill of unpredictability. Say goodbye to long waits and repetitive explanations, and hello to a more dynamic gaming experience. Get ready to transform your D&D or Pathfinder sessions with these fresh and exciting combat techniques!

Prewritten modules and adventures are a DM's friend.  They are simple, canned documents that you can insert into your world as needed but they're better if you customize them; make them more integrated with your game world, your players' characters, and important NPCs.  Don't know where to get started?  I'm here to help.

You're starting a new campaign!  Yay!  Everything is so shiny and new.  Your DM has asked you to come up with a backstory for your dragonborn druid from the high deserts and you have no idea where to begin.  How do I incorporate my backstory into the DM's world?  How can I help my DM create adventures with my backstory?   Or you may be a DM who wants to incorporate backstories into the new campaign and you aren't quite sure how to proceed.  Good news everyone!  This episode can help you either way.

Owlbears - one of my favorite monstrosities to throw at my players.  Sneaky ambushers?  Nah.  Subtlety is for chumps.  In this episode we talk about the history of the owlbear, its properties, and how DMs can use them in their campaigns.

Learn how to handle it when player characters unexpectedly defeat the main villain in a campaign, with creative strategies to keep the narrative engaging. Discover tactics for keeping the big bad alive, from avoiding direct confrontation to utilizing minions. Explore the importance of introducing a powerful antagonist early on and maintaining their presence throughout the storyline.

This topic was suggested by Adrian Young on the Taking 20 Facebook page.  Lots of DMs burn out because they spend hours and hours preparing for gaming sessions while their players get to just show up and play.  In this episode, we talk about tools that DMs can use to reduce their overall prep time before each gaming session.

Certain conditions that affect characters can have a negative effect at your table.  While I don't advocate completely getting rid of some of these conditions, in this episode I talk about how DMs should use them with caution and advice for players whose characters are taken out of the fight or gaming session by one or more of these conditions.

Artifacts can be simple engines to generate adventures or powerful items wielded by the PCs to accomplish a mission or slay a powerful creature.  Used without care, however, and artifacts will break your game.  In a slightly long episode, we discuss the positive and negatives of artifacts and how DMs can use them in their games.